Hooniverse Asks: Do you commute in the snow?

Kamil Kaluski

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A snow storm is the favorite drama of local news stations. Despite the fact that we have been getting snow storms every winter since forever, it’s always special for those people. It’s all hands on deck time. Multiple reporters stationed throughout the viewing areas, reporting on the snow. One guy by the road, some lady asking parents about kids being home from school, some dweeb with a ruler measuring his snow and comparing it another guy’s snow. Ugh. It’s awful.

Personally, I have to go into the office, my day job requires it. But truth be told, I never really found that to be that challenging. First, I make sure my vehicle is ready for this grueling task. I go in really early. The news tells people to stay off the roads and they actually do. Roads are not always plowed but they’re passable. And once I’m finally at work, it’s kind of nice and quiet – I can get stuff done.

So, do you drive to work in the snow?

About

Kamil Kaluski

Kamil Kaluski

East Coast Editor. Races crappy cars and has an unhealthy obsession with Eastern Bloc cars. Current fleet: 4Runner, Integra, Regal, Lada

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43 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: Do you commute in the snow?”

  1. onrails Avatar
    onrails

    Absolutely. In a 2wd car. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4816bc36643448c221f3b2407d60bdab6611663c3aa990edbae75bab1f456bd9.jpg

    Reply
  2. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    I was born in the rust belt, but we moved before I was driving age and have practically zero experience driving in snow. Snow commutes are not a “thing” here; on those rare occasions when the snow sticks to the ground, then the roads turn to ice and everyone stays home.

    Reply
  3. Manxman Avatar
    Manxman

    Nope. When I worked in IT in Austin, TX I stayed home in the rare ice or snow. If it started snowing or sleeting during the day the office would close early so folks could go home before it became dangerous. Central Texas drivers barey know how to drive in the rain , much less snow. People from the mid-west would just plain laugh at it. Since retired I don’t go out in snow or ice…it’s not worth the anxiety of being rear-ended by a careless driver.

    Reply
    1. salguod Avatar
      salguod

      My dad was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso before I was born. Mom worked as a secretary for the General’s office while there. One rare winter morning they woke to snow on the ground, less than an inch. Being native Ohioans, mom thought nothing of it and went in to work as normal. There was absolutely no traffic and she found the office locked. There had been no announcements on the radio of closings but it was so rare there that everyone there simply understood that snow meant everything came to a halt.

      Reply
  4. Manxman Avatar
    Manxman

    Nope. When I worked in IT in Austin, TX I stayed home in the rare ice or snow. If it started snowing or sleeting during the day the office would close early so folks could go home before it became dangerous. Central Texas drivers barey know how to drive in the rain , much less snow. People from the mid-west would just plain laugh at it. Since retired I don’t go out in snow or ice…it’s not worth the anxiety of being rear-ended by a careless driver.

    Reply
  5. Fuhrman16 Avatar
    Fuhrman16

    I live in Minnesota, so yes, I do commute to work in the snow all the time. My little Mazda 2 does quite well in the stuff in fact.

    Reply
  6. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    On the rare occasion that it does snow in Georgia I either work from home or just wait until afternoon for it to melt.

    Reply
  7. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I do, but I now have a relatively short drive. For a couple of years, though, my commute was 1350 miles per week through Virginia and WV mountains. And that was in a RWD ’87 BMW 325. Dedicated winter tires are the only way to go.

    Reply
  8. onrails Avatar
    onrails

    Absolutely. In a 2wd car. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4816bc36643448c221f3b2407d60bdab6611663c3aa990edbae75bab1f456bd9.jpg

    Reply
    1. Smaglik Avatar
      Smaglik

      I have a set of snows on the m3. It’s awesome in the snow, and the RWD really keeps you honest about speed. If it takes that much effort to get going, the same effort has to happen to stop…

      Reply
    2. Smaglik Avatar
      Smaglik

      I have a set of snows on the m3. It’s awesome in the snow, and the RWD really keeps you honest about speed. If it takes that much effort to get going, the same effort has to happen to stop…

      Reply
  9. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    If I didn’t, I’d be unemployed for 8 months out of the year

    Fun fact for far, far northern Minnesota – we’ve had documented snow falls in every month except August. One year it snowed on the 4th of July.

    Reply
    1. Smaglik Avatar
      Smaglik

      We’re the same here. I believe it’s either July or August as the only snow free month.

      Reply
  10. Smaglik Avatar
    Smaglik

    Yes. But in a mountain town, we all do. Ground clearance is helpful for the big dumps, otherwise you won’t get out of the subdivision. But, snows are enough for all but the big ones.

    Reply
  11. Bj Ruland Avatar
    Bj Ruland

    Often, Wisconsin has had a special kind of winter. One where you start to think “Florida Man” isn’t actually the insane one for living where he lives. Cooper Evolution Winter’s on the wifes RS Sonic and Discoverer AT3 on my burb. We found out that the RS seems to sit a tad lower than the LTZ Sonic (which we also own) and is a little tricky in the deep snow. So you wait for the plows to have done their job before setting off with it.

    Leave early, drive slow, enjoy.

    Reply
  12. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    I’ve retired now, so, no – I don’t commute in the snow. In any case, here in Dallas it rarely snows and when it does it’s usually accompanied by an ice storm making driving too dangerous to contemplate, except for those who either drive large pickup trucks (nearly everyone in Dallas) or who are incapable of contemplating consequences (most of the rest).

    Having said that, for the last few years before I retired, I had ‘special winter tires’ on my car: Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They were great for the snow. That is to say – if you can’t back out of the driveway safely you sure as Hell can’t drive to work on them…so I had to stay home.

    Reply
  13. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I live 5 miles from work, so it would have to be an absolute catastrophe of a storm to stay home (and as much as the rest of the country gives Toronto a hard time because we once called in the armed forced to help after a bigger storm, we can mostly handle winter). That said, I’ll take the excuse to work from home sometimes, but it’s not because I’m trying to avoid the drive.

    Reply
  14. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
    dead_elvis, inc.

    Not if I can help it. The Seattle area just gives up for a couple days any time the region gets more than a dusting.

    To be fair, this is a much hillier city than most people realize. A combination of topography, too little municipal snow removal equipment, and a driving population seemingly resistant to using real winter tires & largely unfamiliar with driving at all, let alone in snow makes it a bad time.

    Reply
  15. Fuhrman16 Avatar
    Fuhrman16

    I live in Minnesota, so yes, I do commute to work in the snow all the time. My little Mazda 2 does quite well in the stuff in fact.

    Reply
    1. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      Do you have snow tires, and if so, which ones? Mine are garbage, but also due for replacement (serves me right for trusting the dealer). My 2’s always done fine in winter, but this year in particular has been challenging (it’s to the point where I’d probably be better off on the factory all-seasons).

      Reply
      1. Fuhrman16 Avatar
        Fuhrman16

        Yes, it’s wearing Michelin X-Ice tires. I’m honestly not all that fond of them and plan on replacing them before next winter. They seem fine in fresh powder, but on ice or packed snow they don’t feel all that different from all seasons. I preferred the Firestone Winterforce and the Hankook Ice Pike I’ve had on my prior cars. They both had more aggressive threads than these Michelins, but it seems both have been discontinued.

        Reply
        1. GTXcellent Avatar
          GTXcellent

          We ran iPikes on the Saab, but then our last set of winter tires, we tried Cooper Weather Master ST/2s – WOW, best snow tire I’ve experienced (although to be fair, I’ve always been too cheap to throw Hakkapelittas on). What I really liked about the Coopers, was how well they did when it got warmer out – that period from March until May when it might be 60 degrees one day and 15 the next.

          Reply
  16. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Funny question to those who live in “wintery” areas who need to shift to winter tires anyway. It’s probably much worse for those in areas where it is neither the law nor the tradition to change tires, and where there is no infrastructure in place to remove all the snow. But even here in Norway, people do crash like crazy during the first days of winter. An odd recurrence in my area is that the local bus company seems to be late to switch to winter tires every year for the last five years or so, with even busses sliding and colliding everywhere. That, sort of, removes the alternative to driving yourself.

    In the winter, I can’t park in my driveway, which is long (ca 50m) and steep (up to 35 degrees and thus a potential avalanche slope. Jepp). So I park about 200m from the house and I actually appreciate the exercise in a tiny walk and the snowclearing in the morning.

    https://i.ibb.co/551crV3/IMG-20190119-145924.jpg

    Reply
    1. nanoop Avatar
      nanoop

      In October-December I’m loving it, too. I tend to be outside in total quietness using shovels, until some neighbor fires up a snowblower. In March, I start getting annoyed…

      The crash rate is slightly owed to the fact that may people don’t change themselves anymore and the tire service shops have only so many bays, so people don’t get appointments in time.
      An other factor is that spiked tires must not be mounted “between [fixed day in October] and [movable day after Eastern] – or when the conditions call for it”. So people tend to avoid to shift in early October because law and then don’t get an appointment. The traffic police always says that conditions outweigh those dates, but well, everything is outweighed by a good citizen’s obedience…

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        True that, my colleagues are surprised that I switch to studded tires early every year. But I also think that despite the “busy season” for tire shops, people could spread their appointments by looking at the calendar and the weather report.

        Reply
      2. Lokki Avatar
        Lokki

        The father of my college room mate was an Insurance Agent in northern Pennsylvania: snow country. My room mate said that when the first snow storm of the year arrived, his father always opened a fresh bottle of whiskey and just sat by the phone.

        Reply
    2. JRise Avatar
      JRise

      Living in Norway, the answer is yes (Funny question, as Sjalabais noted above, what are my options? 🙂
      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ecbbd3e4c023e01d9d5307b1043eace7e3e507fa57b1d0453ff3c2cbb21361aa.jpg

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Your photo? Awesome! Here’s my ultraprestigious ride after a night at Filefjell in -26°C:
        https://i.redd.it/xayiklamc9121.jpg

        Reply
        1. JRise Avatar
          JRise

          Yes, it is taken in Tosenfjorden, me on my way to a customer in my Cougar, some time back in -99
          It probably looks the same today 🙂

          Reply
  17. Ross Ballot Avatar
    Ross Ballot

    My snowy commutes are mostly consumed by inwardly screaming angry words at the people dumb enough to not clear the snow off their vehicles.

    Reply
    1. Land Ark Avatar
      Land Ark

      Ugh, I barely have time to think about it because of all the people in the driving snow running around without their lights on.

      Reply
  18. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I do, but I now have a relatively short drive. For a couple of years, though, my commute was 1350 miles per week through Virginia and WV mountains. And that was in a RWD ’87 BMW 325. Dedicated winter tires are the only way to go.

    Reply
  19. ConstantReader Avatar
    ConstantReader

    I used to commute in a car when I lived in the country, but I either walk or take a city bus now since I live within a mile of work. I once drove a 1972 Capri over 20 miles in 6″ of fresh snow and even made it up the hill and into my condo garage…without snow tires. I hate winter driving for all the fools in 4WD vehicles with a false sense of security. Drove my Volvo 745 Turbo in an ice storm watching all the bozos upside down in the median in all wheel drive SUVs, trucks, etc.

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Winter driving isn’t about what you drive, it’s about how you drive. SUVs have only weakened people’s bad-weather driving skills.

      Reply
  20. Dan Mosqueda Avatar
    Dan Mosqueda

    I drive to the train station. Unless work is closed. I drive my GTI or X5. I learned to drive in snowy West Michigan.

    Reply
  21. Ryan Huelsemann Avatar
    Ryan Huelsemann

    all winter long in my little Abarth. this year’s been tricky in WI though, and i have a laptop, so i work from home sometimes just as a change of pace if i’d rather not deal with it. Winter tires are a lifesaver though.

    Reply
  22. Ryan Huelsemann Avatar
    Ryan Huelsemann

    all winter long in my little Abarth. this year’s been tricky in WI though, and i have a laptop, so i work from home sometimes just as a change of pace if i’d rather not deal with it. Winter tires are a lifesaver though.

    Reply
  23. njhoon Avatar
    njhoon

    I do commute in the snow (when we have it). I wake up a little early, clear the snow and just drive in. The worst part as you eluded to is the pre-storm hype machine.

    Reply
  24. Tank Avatar
    Tank

    I do. I’m in Delaware and work in Maryland. My work rarely closes for a weather event, but when it does is usually when I wouldn’t have gone out anyway (save for ice storms, I won’t do that). Many people I work with (who tend to have 4wd trucks) call out due to snow, but I’ve never really had a problem. Up until last year I was driving a 1999 Civic in it, and now I have a 2012 Focus. Both cars do ok, though I wouldn’t say we have a lot of snow in this area.

    Reply
  25. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    When I had the quattros, I did and was usually the only person in class. Got to drive home when I was told they were cancelled.
    Now in DFW… we don’t get snow. Just ice. And since WIFI works pretty good now I just stay home.

    Reply
  26. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    When I had the quattros, I did and was usually the only person in class. Got to drive home when I was told they were cancelled.
    Now in DFW… we don’t get snow. Just ice. And since WIFI works pretty good now I just stay home.

    Reply
  27. salguod Avatar
    salguod

    Yes, I actually kind of like it. Turns the mundane drive into a challenge.

    Now that I have the Ranger (and 180lbs of sand in the bed) I don’t have to worry about salt on the BMW. Being 2WD, however, it’s not the best for getting through the deep stuff. 5″ of very wet snow had it stuck in the driveway a few weeks ago.

    Central Ohio is a bit of a crap shoot as far as winter tires go. The past 2 winters were short and mild, with a couple of stretches of 60 degree days where winter tires start to turn to jello. This year has been consistently cold with decent snow fall. Before I got the Ranger, I commuted in my daughter’s Prius with winter tires on a couple of snowy days. That has made me a convert. It was a terrible snow car and it’s probably the best winter vehicle we have with those tires. I’ll probably get winter tires for my wife’s Accord next year.

    Reply
  28. Pinkerton9 Avatar
    Pinkerton9

    I live in one of the snowiest areas of the United States, the UP of Michigan. The cities and counties do a pretty good job clearing snow, but if there’s an ice storm most everybody stays home. I can can live without AWD, but snow tires are a must. Got a new-to-me ride this February, and immediately purchased separate rims and tires for winter. Side note, these rims are the same pattern that came stock on my 2002 Si. The 2014 came with massive 18″ rims. Not only do they look goofy to me, but low profile tires are not suited to our shitty roads. I’m thinking of getting a 17″ set of the same MSWs for summer. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/727fc685538a641529bb3c187fd4e3f803a0d8c27243e353b6e38512e41d78ec.jpg

    Reply